The present invention relates generally to digital communications and networking technologies and analog technologies such as radar and particularly to modulator components therefor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide advanced modulators whose high efficiency will permit superior digital telecommunications systems to be developed and commercialized. It is further an object of the present invention to provide advanced modulators whose high efficiency; and small size and weight, will enable radar imaging techniques to be deployed more widely and more flexibly in support of operations. It is a further object of the present invention that these modulator components permit the received radar return signal to be acquired directly, eliminating the need for amplification. It is further an object of the present invention that the receive array circuitry be integrated and packaged in a single compact receive module.
A modulator including: a plurality of branches; first and second RF electrodes; a first plurality of RF delay elements coupled to the first RF electrode and a second plurality of RF delay elements coupled to the second electrode; and, a plurality of electro-optic resonant elements each being respectively coupled for RF frequency energy exchange with a corresponding one of the RF delay elements and coupled for optical frequency electromagnetic energy exchange to at least one of the branches.